Harlequin Desire January 2021--Box Set 1 of 2 Maisey Yates (sad books to read .txt) 📖

band onstage introduced themselves, and the lead began strumming an electric guitar. The noise level in the room increased several decibels.

Getting a drink turned out to take almost an hour. It seemed very few people left the club but more joined throughout the night. Each performer got two songs, and the performances ranged from bands singing their own songs to a cappella versions of popular hits to solo instrumental and vocal performances. Divya’s feet were killing her, and by the second hour, she could barely stand.

“Your feet hurt?” Ethan asked.

She nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

He walked over to a table and she saw him handing over several bills. Ethan managed to get them two seats at a table where four other people were already seated. Divya knew money was no object for him, but it was the gesture that struck her. He paid attention to her, not just what she said but how she was feeling, how she was doing. How did an intuitive guy like that not have women lining up to be with him?

He tried to introduce them to their tablemates only to get shushed as they listened to the next band. He leaned over and whispered to Divya. “This crowd is no joke.”

She nodded. “Broadway and other industry agents and scouts come here looking for talent.”

A solo musician stood onstage and tuned his guitar. “Hurry it up!” someone heckled. The musician looked to be no more than a boy of eighteen or nineteen. He fumbled with the chords and his voice came out strangled. The crowd immediately began booing, and the kid hurried offstage.

Divya’s heart hammered. The room was getting hot.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be great.” Ethan squeezed her hand.

“You’ve never heard me sing. I thought I could do this, but I’m not sure…” The words died on her lips as he put a finger on her mouth. She had an insane urge to take that finger and suck on it.

But just as fast, he pulled it off her lips. “I’ve seen your determination. You’ve given up a lot to be here. You can do this.”

Tears pricked her eyes. Her family always told her how well she sang. Her parents paid for the best vocal teachers because she asked them to. Yet, none of them had ever believed in her the way this stranger sitting next to her did. He was still holding on to her hand, and she let his strength comfort her and calm the nervous churn of her stomach.

They sat and listened to the other musicians and with each new artist, Divya’s doubts grew. The crowd was merciless, exuberant with their applause and brutal with their heckling. At least five performers were run offstage before they even finished their sets. She knew to expect this. It’s what made Café Underground the place to test one’s mettle. But now that she was here, she wasn’t sure she could really do it.

Rick signaled to them. Divya looked up at Ethan, and he gave her a reassuring smile. “Go knock them dead.” She knew without a doubt no matter what happened, there would be one person in the audience cheering for her.

Her feet hurt and her legs wobbled as she made her way onto the stage. The easy part of doing a vocal performance was the quick stage turnaround. No instrument tuning or setup required. The hard part was the fact that there was nothing but her voice. As she stood at the microphone, the crowd grew restless. They weren’t going to be polite to her, like her family and friends. This wasn’t like it had been on Zoom, when people were just glad to hear some music and connect with other people. And where Rick had had the ability to mute the crowd.

It was late into the night and the alcohol had been flowing for hours. They weren’t going to be easy to please. This would be the moment when she’d find out whether she had any real talent. She’d worked hard for years with the vocal lessons; her singing was the only thing that hadn’t been handed to her, and this was the moment she’d find out whether it, whether she, was worth anything. She took a breath and found Ethan in the crowd. He gave her a thumbs-up, and she began singing.

CHAPTER FIVE

Ethan didn’t know what to expect, but even without ever having heard Divya sing, he knew she’d be great. What did surprise him was her choice of songs. She started with Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” It apparently surprised the crowd too, because as she escalated her voice into the first chorus, a hush blanketed the room for the first time all night. She closed her eyes as she sang the verses, varying her pitch to the crescendo of the words. With no instrumental accompaniment, her voice sounded pure and clear. It filled Ethan’s soul with joy and arrested the audience into silence.

At the end of the song, the entire club burst into applause. Ethan stood, clapping as hard as he could. She wasn’t just good. She was Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin good, with a rich deep voice that was pitch-perfect. He’d never heard anything like it.

The deal had been for her to sing two songs. For the second song she chose “Country Road,” and the crowd went wild. This time she didn’t stand still. She picked up the microphone from the stand and walked the stage. The crowd joined in with her, thrilled with her nostalgic choice. The other vocalists had all chosen more popular, contemporary songs.

When she waved to leave the stage, the crowd stood and shouted “Encore!” That was also a first all night. They’d liked other performers but hadn’t asked anyone to stay.

Rick shook his head, but at the grumbles of the crowd he relented. “One more, but that’s it,” he bellowed and they all cheered.

Divya onstage was magic, her entire face transformed into sheer joy. This time she went with something more pop culture, but once again, Britney Spears’s “Baby